What If: The Lavender Lotus Brawl
by Yondaime-dono
Summary: What if the drawings in the chuunin exams had gone a bit differently? When Hyuuga and Rock face off, it's the Leaf that wins...
1. Fighting for a Reason

**Someone requested a sequel to What If a while back...I've actually been attempting to create one for quite some time. However, it's a lot more difficult than I thought coming up with my own setting and scenario. Instead, I'm focusing on my other stories a bit more, and I'll get to What If Continued a bit later. That doesn't mean I can't come up with a few other What If's though...**

**A two-shot for your enjoyment...I'm too tired to finish it tonight.**

**

* * *

**

_Back in the Chuunin Arc..._

It had been a hard match for Hinata to watch. On one side, her teammate of the past few months, Inuzuka Kiba, was dominating the majority of his match. He'd shown the depth of his abilities, as well as his ability to strategize. And through the majority of the match, he and his dog Akamaru had come out without a scratch. In any other match, she would have cheered Kiba on whole-heartedly...

But opposite him was the most chaotic and energetic ninja Konoha had ever known. Uzumaki Naruto had spent the majority of the match on his rear, or surrounded. He hadn't managed to get many licks in...but he refused to quit. It was his cunning and determination that Hinata admired so much. And, even when he was losing badly, it was impossible for her to root against him.

In the end, he'd gotten lucky. An unintended fart had hit the right place at the right time and saved his butt...literally. It was an unfortunate end to what had been a great battle for Kiba.

Even as Hinata evaluated the battle in her head, she couldn't leave it at that. Hinata watched as the medical ninjas picked up little Akamaru from the ground and made their way across the arena. They walked toward Kiba, who was being carried away on a stretcher. No, Hinata reminded herself, the outcome of the fight would have never been a possibility if Naruto had not been clever enough to eliminate Kiba's dog from the equation. That stroke of wisdom had not been luck...it was pure Naruto. She'd never been more amazed at him in her life.

Now she felt guilty...she'd given Naruto ointment for his wounds and stood around acting shy, while her teammate was being picked up from the floor. Quickly, she made her way down, just as the medics cleared the floor. They would surely take care of him, but she felt it was best to do what she could.

"Umm..."

The medics stopped in their tracks and faced the girl, and Kiba lifted his head to look Hinata's way.

Hinata lifted her little jar to them. "This is an ointment. Please use it on Kiba and Akamaru's wounds..."

Kiba looked curiously at her, and noticed her concern...but the look on his face was full of concern as well. Despite that, he let out a chuckle. "You should be worrying about yourself, and not others..." He hadn't been able to beat Naruto, who was supposedly the worst of the worst. What did that make him...and what did that make the others who he had not seen fight yet? No...this was indeed worrisome territory.

"Kiba-kun..."

Kiba felt weak, and knew he was going to need rest soon. He would not joke around while he was on the stretcher. "Listen, Hinata. There are only six of you left. You, Chouji, Neji, Lee, a Sound ninja, and that Sand guy."

As he saw the look that came across her face, he almost felt like he didn't need to say the rest. He wasn't going to leave Hinata's life up to chance, however. "Listen up, Hinata. If you match up against the Sand guy, give up right away." Akamaru's warning rang clear in his mind. **No one of their team would beat that guy.**

Then, he remembered who he was speaking to. "Also, do the same if you match up against Neji. Give up right away." Hinata's eyes widened as she considered the possibility. "He will be very strict against you. You're going to get beat bad."

He didn't get a chance to say more. Genma's composed voice cut in. "Now then, I will announce the next match." Everyone's eyes shifted to the screen, which was now randomly cycling through names...

Hinata clearly recognized her own name on the screen, and quickly scanned down to the name beneath it...

Both she and Kiba exhaled slightly. It seemed the fates had been good to her. As good as she could expect anyway...

The name was spelled out clearly, though she did not know it. **Rock Lee.**

* * *

**What If: The Lavender Lotus** **Brawl  
Part 1: Fighting for a Reason****  
by Yondaime-dono**

* * *

**"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!" **The cry of the two men wearing green spandex echoed throughout the arena. The younger of the bowl cuts leaped onto the railing and kicked his right leg up above his head. "Finally, I get my turn! Watch me shine, Gai-sensei!"

"Lee, wait a moment!" Gai grabbed his student by the tights and pulled him down from the railing. "Let me give you some nice advice..."

Lee and Gai both turned, and Hinata could see their eyes lock with hers from the opposite end of the room. Gai's voice was clear as day, and carried to her ears. "She may not look as intimidating, but that girl is the cousin of Neji...do not underestimate a Hyuuga!"

"I see, sensei! I will be careful!"

Neji harrumphed behind them, and looked away from them all. He only wished he had gotten this fight instead of Lee...

"All right! Go! YEAH!" Gai's battlecry echoed as he cheered his student on, and Lee leaped down from the balcony.

Hyuuga Hinata had yet to move from Kiba's side, but Kiba shut his eyes now. "Hinata."

"Eh?" She hadn't turned her eyes from Rock Lee sincehis bombastic yell...now she turned back to her teammate. "Hai, Kiba-kun?"

"Go and do our team proud. I have faith...we can get 2 out of 3 today." Warmly, he looked at Hinata and smiled. Hinata nodded, and the men who were holding Kiba's stretcher took him away.

Now, Hinata walked slowly to the middle of the room, drawing the ire of Genma as she kept her pace even. Hinata found her mind swirling and unsteady...there was no team in this battle...only her, and she wasn't even close to confident in her chances. At least in a battle with Neji, she knew her chances were slim. She couldn't even tell that with this guy...

And what's worse, his sensei had already given away everything about her worth knowing. She was a Hyuuga...family of Neji's. Her style was similar, though she was certain that he was better than she. Hinata felt her hands tremble lightly as she walked, and knew then that she stood no chance. Quickly, she drew her index fingers into their traditional nervous position.

A half-smile spread across Rock Lee's face, not because of her nervousness, but because of his own anxiety. He hadn't even noticed hers, in fact. It was time for him to prove himself...not only to his sensei, but to the world. And beyond that, this was a chance to prove far greater things than his own abilities. It was a great chance to measure his chances of ever surpassing Neji. "I am glad that I am able to fight a Hyuuga so early," Rock Lee announced. "This gives me a chance to accurately see how far I've come. It shall be a great battle."

Hinata's eyes widened. He had trained with Neji? It dawned on her that they were teammates...he would more than likely know more about her style than she did.

Suddenly, the battle before her felt less like a challenge to swim upstream...and more like a deadly dare to try and swim up Rock.

"If both fighters are ready..." Genma looked to either side, and made note of the panicked look on Hinata's face. Injury was one thing...but he was not going to stop a match for panic. "The 8th match shall begin...now!"

Rock Lee felt his ankles tense and realized he'd been standing on his tiptoes this whole time. Rolling back onto his feet flatly, he slipped his left leg back behind him and turned his foot parallel to his body. Lee folded his left hand behind his back and extended his right hand to his opponent. His smile widened...Gai-sensei was watching...and he would make his sensei proud.

Hinata, on the other hand, was feeling entirely different. A bit before, she'd actually felt good about this...she'd thought maybe luck was on her side since she hadn't drawn Neji-niisan or Sabaku no Gaara. Now, she felt as if she and Kiba just hadn't realized that there was a third awful option. Instead of Neji, now she would fight the anti-Neji. Something told her Kiba would have demanded she quit this one too if he had known. And yet he hadn't...what should she do?

"I...I...I can't..."

Rock Lee's eyes widened in surprise for a moment, and he recognized her nervousness for the first time. "You can't what?"

"I resig--"

**_"GOOOOOOO HINATA! Beat those fuzzy eyebrows down!"_**

Three sets of eyebrows raised at that yell: Hinata's, and the top and bottom set of Rock Lee eyebrows. Lee looked up and saw the orange jumpsuit and blonde hair...Naruto was yelling over the railing as loudly as he could. "Show him what you're made of, Hinata!"

Hinata was speechless. Naruto was cheering? For her? She felt her cheeks warm slightly, and turned her head toward him.

Naruto kept the worry from appearing on his face. He had never seen Hinata fight, but he had seen Rock Lee fight. If the look on her face was any sign, she must've been going through some serious doubt down there. Knowing what he did of Rock Lee's strength, he couldn't blame her. When murked down in such doubt, he did the one thing he always did. He shouted his anxiety away, and faced his problems head on. If he'd had ten seconds with Hinata, he would have given her the same advice. Instead, his yell would have to do.

And do it did. Rock Lee turned his eyes back to his opponent. "Hinata-san, you were saying something about what you can't do?"

Hinata turned her eyes back to him, then looked down for a moment. _That's right, _Hinata remembered. _I came here for a reason...even if I can't win, I can't back down here. Not before I prove I've changed...and definitely not in front of him. _Hinata drew her hands and began a long seal sequence.

"Byakugan!"

Rock Lee watched as the veins around Hinata's eyes constricted and tensed. He'd seen this a thousand times, but every time, it never ceased to amaze him. As he watched Hinata slide into her fighting stance, his eyes widened a bit. _This stance..._

Hinata slid her right foot backwards without turning her thigh at all, and leaned forward onto its toes. Likewise, she slid her left foot forward, but this knee remained straight. _Her stance...is much different from Neji's. _Lee didn't know what he expected, but this was not it. She seemed settled enough into it, but Lee couldn't help but look at her legs oddly. _She's so tense...and there's no way she can have leverage from that odd positioning..._

"Please forget what I said before, Rock Lee...let us fight."

Lee nodded. "If that's what you want..."

Everyone in the arena watched silently as the tension in the room rose. Naruto grew anxious watching as Hinata advanced slowly and Rock Lee waved her closer, watching her stance closely. He couldn't take it anymore. **_"Ikkei, Hinata!"_**

Hinata chose that moment to move for real.They were only about five feet apart, and with surprising speed, she pushed off of her right foot and closed the distance. She flipped stances and put her right foot forward, slightly diagonal with Rock Lee's angular stance. Instead of being directly in front of his hand, she had landed slightly to his left, with a clear shot across his chest if she was fast enough. With all her might, she thrust her open right palm toward Rock Lee. **"HA!"**

Lee's eyes opened wide, and he panicked for a moment. _Open palm? _He was expecting Neji's poking thrusts, and they were painful enough...who knew what an open palm could do? Lee leaned to his right quickly, trying to pull out of her reach, but discovered that wouldn't be enough. Breaking his stance for a moment, Lee took another step back with his left foot and turned his stance to face her a bit more. He tilted his upper body just a bit and evaded her attack, but just barely. As the attack passed him, Lee quickly used his rotation to his advantage and kicked his right foot out behind Hinata, sweeping her back leg out from beneath her. Hinata gasped and wobbled.

"Ahh!" She toppled backward and onto her side, and Lee took three large steps back, not lowering his guard for a moment.

There was silence in the room, and then a collective sigh. That had been a disappointing opening...

Hinata frowned as she felt the pain in her hip from her fall, and then she began to pick herself up. Rock Lee's eyes were focused on her, his right hand extended once more, palm inward. His stance was almost the same as before.

"I should not tell you this...but you will not defeat me in that stance. You are Hyuuga...part of a family hand-to-hand specialists." Lee balled his fist and closed his eyes, tensing his arm muscles. "But I will prove I am just as special as you are...my art is taijutsu as well." Opening his eyes once more and watching as Hinata got up, he made eye contact with her. "Show me your movement...or you will not last."

Hinata didn't notice immediately, but his stance had one definite difference. His left arm was no longer behind him, but instead his palm was stretched across his chest, tensing with each throbbing pain he felt in the muscle there. _I know she missed, _Rock Lee thought_...there's no way she hit me just now, or I'd be on the floor. But..._Lee considered her open palm strike, as compared to Neji's two finger assaults...

_Is it possible that her attacks are more ranged than Neji's?_

It was obvious to him that he didn't know as much about the Hyuuga style as he thought he did. _She's more dangerous than Neji for me...a direct hit might kill me. And, unlike Neji's strikes...even a near-miss wounds. I can't let her do that again._

_

* * *

_

Maito Gai watched carefully from the balcony and grimaced at that first pass. To the majority of the crowd, Lee had won that first pass easily. But there were at least 3 people watching who knew the truth. Gai glanced over to Hatake Kakashi just as he glanced to Gai, and each gave the other a knowing glance. Yes, Hinata had gotten a small surprise there, but she'd given Lee a bigger one.

_That's ok, _Gai thought. He still had tricks up his sleeve, as long as he didn't get whacked before he could use them...

* * *

Hinata quickly realized he was right. Her style was meant more for two-dimensional battle against opponents who were far worse at physical combat than her. This fellow, based on his quick reactions and how he'd found the weak point in her stance, was probably quicker than her--and better at defense and evasion. That meant she needed to keep her stance stable at all times. Hinata shifted her normal stance a bit... 

Rock Lee watched as her right foot shifted behind her and turned parallel to her body. This time, both knees were bent slightly. Her hands remained the same...left hand extended with open palm facing Lee, right palm back at just below face level. _Better, _he thought. _But she still underestimates my speed. _He'd give one last warning. "The next time we match blows, I will not stop." With that, he moved his left hand back behind his body.

Hinata nodded and huffed. "So be it, Lee-kun." No more time to look back. She needed to watch him closely.

With no warning, Lee sprinted forward. _I won't let her get the jump on me again! _Leaping into the air, Lee spun around and brought a roundhouse left kick toward Hinata's head. "Konoha Senpuu!"

Hinata leaned her head back and out of the range of the kick and dragged her feet backwards to make distance, but she did nothing to block his movement. He continued to spin as he landed and threw another left kick, this one aimed for her gut. With crossed arms, she blocked that one. Lee withdrew his foot and quickly snapped it forward again, this time side kicking toward her head and over her block.

With the Byakugan, she was able to see the movement ahead of time, however, and raised her arms just slightly. Her crossed wrists deflected his kick away from her head, and she began to twist her hands around, trying to grab his leg...

Lee gasped as he realized what she might try, and he leaped off of the ground. Before her fingers could touch his leg, he twisted in midair and brought kicked his right leg toward her midsection with as much momentum as he could. Hinata took the shot to the ribs surprisingly well, but that was probably because Lee didn't really have the footing for a great kick at the time. He quickly got his other leg away from her, however, and hit the floor.

Instead of retreating, Lee pushed himself up and off the ground and kicked his legs out. As though he were an Olympic pommel horse competitor, Lee quickly gathered his legs and scissored them behind hers in another attempt to sweep her.

Hinata leaped over his feet as if she had anticipated his movement slightly. But beyond that, she leaped forward, toward him...past him. Lee was quite surprised when he heard the yell...**"HA!"**

At the same time, a strong force impacted his right shoulder, and he face-faulted forward. Hinata had kicked him from midair.

* * *

The surprise in the room was palpable as Lee fell to the ground. Hinata stayed within her stance and slowly inched backwards, still not breathing hard. Everyone except him knew exactly what had just happened. Hinata's yell wasn't because of the strength of her kick...it was because she had strained to channel chakra into her feet quick enough. 

The wave of blue chakra extending from her foot and into Rock Lee as she'd kicked wasn't nearly as bright as the one from her palm strike earlier, but it was just as well. The first attack had missed. This weaker one had quite plainly hit dead on.

Gai inhaled sharply. _That one had to hurt._

_Come on Lee...I know you can do this...

* * *

_

_Whoa! She's doing it...she's winning! _A wide-eyed Naruto clapped his hands once, and leaped onto the railing.

_**"Go Hinata! Keep it up!"**_

Naruto began to cheer in full earnest, and soon, he heard other voices joining him. Ino and Sakura had joined in, cheering their fellow rookie girl on...

* * *

_Dang it...owww..._

Lee's shoulder didn't want to move anymore. It wasn't that he couldn't move it...it was just that it made it quite clear it hated him for doing so. Lee tried to push himself back onto his feet and failed. Rolling over onto his back, he kicked his legs into the air and vaulted himself up without his arms. _This just won't do..._

Hinata was a good distance away, and her stance was solid now. She was looking up into the stands.

That's when Lee heard the cheers. The blonde was still cheering...but now another blonde had joined in. Then, he heard a voice he wasn't expecting...

"Go Hinata! Show him what the Rookie Nine are made of!"

_Is that..._

**"Sakura-chan?"**

The voice in the stands grew silent. Lee turned and looked toward the pink-haired girl and caught her gaze. Her eyes were full of panic, as if she'd been caught doing something wrong. Lee looked at her and felt the hurt cross his face. _**She's **rooting against me too?_

Lee shut his eyes and felt a tear run down his face. _It's just like before...no one believes in me._

_

* * *

_

In the silence that followed, Sakura turned away from Lee's pained face and walked toward Kakashi.

Ino, too caught off guard to cheer anymore, asked the question most had been thinking. "Fighting hand-to-hand with a Hyuuga is foolish...why doesn't he make some distance and test her defenses?"

Gai frowned momentarily and looked to the girl. "With what?"

Ino paused. What kind of question was that? "I don't know...whatever ninjutsu he knows! Use a fire technique, for crying out loud...something!"

Gai shook his head. "He doesn't know any."

Sakura chimed in. "It doesn't have to be fire...he just needs to keep his distance."

Gai sighed. "You two don't understand. It's not that he doesn't have any of those techniques...it's that he doesn't have any ninjutsu."

Everyone in listening distance turned their heads at that.

Shikamaru glanced over. "He doesn't know ninjutsu?"

"Neither ninjutsu nor genjutsu are in his repertoire."

"Then...he's pure hand to hand?" Sakura looked toward him again and saw the look on his face slip toward despair. _He's in trouble..._

Gai bit his lip, watching his student. "Yep...that's his forte. And that's why he'll win this fight...if he just pays attention..."

* * *

_**"Lee! Stop fooling around and fight!"**_

Lee's ears perked. He needed to correct that last thought. _No one believes in me...except Gai-sensei._

He turned back to his opponent, completely toning out all the yelling he heard in the balcony. "I came down here thinking I could use you to test myself...I underestimated you."

Hinata smiled and shook her head. "We've both made our mistakes. Had you continued to attack after that initial sweep, I would have lost." Her words were spoken carefully, and Lee thought she sounded like a noble. In truth, she was trying not to let her nervousness make her words shaky.

Lee nodded. "Yes...we have both been kind to this point." Lee smiled. "I am glad we drew each other. I helped you fix your stance." His eyes locked with hers, and she remained focused upon his despite every urge to look away. "And you have shown me how deep this competition is. But...I must make it through this. Forgive me...I will not hold back from this point."

Hinata saw the fire in his eyes and knew exactly what he meant. "I, too, have reasons to fight. There are things I must prove." Hinata glanced toward Neji in the balcony, who had never budged from his spot on the wall since the beginning of the tournament. He wasn't there. Instead, he was pressed up against the railing, his Byakugan activated...he was watching as closely as he could. "And there are people I must prove them to..."

She fought the urge to look at Naruto, and instead locked her eyes on Kurenai-sensei for a moment, then drew them back to Lee.

Lee fought the urge to look to Sakura. "Sou, ne..." Lee closed his eyes and nodded. "We have much in common."

Hinata blinked, but showed no other change in expression.

When Lee's eyes opened back up, they were focused and intense. "The time for talk has ended. I'm coming!"

* * *

To be continued (a two-shot!) 


	2. Under Siege

**Okay...I couldn't quite get it into 2 chapters, so there'll be a third with the wrap up...that'll be short and simple though. Apologies on the rushed ending, but the Final Four is approaching...**

* * *

Maito Gai watched silently as his student began to show signs of life again. This Hyuuga woman had certainly given his prize pupil a run for his money thus far. Her style was similar to their team's own Hyuuga Neji in most areas, but vividly different in others. Lee had to suspect by now that her strikes were effective whether she hitor just barely grazed. He had to be feeling the effects. 

If he had the eyes for seeing chakra, he would have known for certain. Hinata's open palms often burst with blue chakra as she struck…the amount of chakra she expelled with each powerful strike was enough to overload a man's organs. Perhaps it was better that Lee _couldn't_ see them.

Gai found himself wishing _he_ couldn't see them.

Kakashi glanced over to his associate and caught the look on his face. It was a look of extreme debate…Gai was more anxious than any Jounin would normally be over a match between genin. Slowly, Kakashi closed the distance between the two of them and stood next to him, joining him at the railing. When Gai didn't respond in any way, Kakashi began to muse.

"This fight…while interesting,should be done already." Kakashi reached up to his face and pulled up the forehead protector that covered his Sharingan.

Gai realized who was speaking and turned to Kakashi. "What are you saying now?"

"You know as well as I do…" Kakashi's eyes locked onto Rock Lee's legs. "The way that boy kicks…he's a hurricane of force and speed. But then…his legs are moving slowly enough that this girl's slow reactions are evading him."

Gai knew where this was going, but he wasn't in the mood at all…

Kakashi locked eyes with him again. "Why do you have one of your students wearing weights in the chuunin exams?" Kakashi ignored the gasp he heard behind him and focused on Gai's response.

Gai turned back to the battle, but his student and the Hyuuga were talking. "He keeps them on at all times. This is no special occasion."

Kakashi remained looking at Gai. "If he took them off, he'd win…"

"He can win without taking them off."

Kakashi glared at Gai. "Or, he can die without taking them off…" The disapproval was clear on the man's face. "I'm disappointed in you if you're willing to take that chance…"

Gai glared back at Kakashi and refused to budge. "Don't you dare tell me how to raise my students. He has his reasons for not taking them off." Gai knew the main one well…Lee wouldn't take those weights off in front of Neji until he was in the ring with him Only if it were a last option would he go that far.

No…this one had much more battle to go before he'd reach that point…

* * *

"OOOOOOOOOOOH!" Rock Lee yelled with all his might. He wouldn't take his weights off, but it was time for this woman to know his strength! **

* * *

What If: The Lavender Lotus ****Brawl  
Part 2: Under Siege  
by Yondaime-dono

* * *

**

_Here he comes…_Hinata steadied herself for the oncoming typhoon as Rock Lee sprinted towards her. Taking a step back with her left foot, she slipped back into her battle stance, right foot forward this time. _I'm ready! _She waited, preparing to time her counterattack…

Before he entered her range, however, Lee quickly shifted directions and took as quick a path around her as he could. As he passed to her left, she jabbed at his side, but wasn't quick enough. He blazed around and to her rear, and Hinata focused her concentration on turning the 360 degree image in her mind to an angle where she could follow his movement.

As he got around to the rear of her stance, he stopped on a dime--his back to hers--and threw a turning backfist toward her back. Quickly, she spun around clockwise and slid into a side stance facing Lee. She drew her right hand inward and away from Lee, while her left palm extended across her body, searching for a new attack to counter. When none was found, she quickly switched to the attack…

When Lee's attack didn't connect, he quickly spun around with it so that he would be facing her when she inevitably turned around. Almost immediately, he saw her folded arms, and realized she'd crept closer somewhere along the way…her right palm suddenly flew at Lee, and he spun effortlessly to the side. As he did, he felt a hand grab on to his own right hand. _Darn! It was a faint! Not good!_

Hinata hadn't attacked; she'd instead grabbed onto him, and now her side stance shifted as she gathered power. Pulling with her right hand, she tried to steal his balance, and used his resistance to rotate her body. A fierce cry escaped her lips as she stepped forward and thrust her left palm towards Lee…

Suddenly, she felt fingers on her wrist, and a sharp upwards pull took her momentum (and concentration) away. Lee quickly pulled her forwards toward him and thrust a strong elbow into her midsection. Before she could react, Lee manipulated his grip again and judo flipped her onto the ground.

Hinata gasped for air, but her body reacted before her lungs could. Rolling to her left side, she barely evaded Lee's attempt to stomp on her abs, and he landed on his feet a split second later. An axe kick followed, then a one-legged stomp, and another. The girl was barely dodging his kicks, but she wasn't gaining any distance…

Lee knew that keeping her on the ground was the best way to avoid her deadly hands, and he was determined to keep her down there, wasting her energy. Chances were she'd get tired of evading and rolling before he'd get tired of kicking. Hours of practice each day witnessed to his stamina. Heck, she already looked winded…

In what looked like frustration to Lee, the girl banged her palms on the floor and began to push herself up to her feet. Before she could, Lee quickly kicked her hands out from beneath her body, and she toppled. This time, she really did bang her hands on the floor in frustration, and Lee felt something within him urge for the coup de grace…

Before Lee could even blink fully, however, he realized something didn't feel right. Looking down, he saw only a shadow…looking up, he saw Hyuuga Hinata, arms tensed, right palm aiming for his head…

* * *

"Holy cow…" Naruto's eyes went wide as he realized what he'd just seen Hinata do. "**KEEP IT UP HINATA!**" The more he thought about what he'd seen, the less he felt he got it…but it had looked ridiculously cool. 

Sasuke and Kakashi got it, however. _Wow, _thought Kakashi. _For a genin, she has pretty impressive chakra control…and a great range of output. To put that much chakra out so suddenly through her hands…she literally vaulted herself off the floor. _She had doneit with such force that she cut a flip in midair.Kakashi looked on in surprise. _She may have a rookie's confidence…but her skills are at least those of an older genin._

Sasuke's thoughts were much similar, but he moved past that line of reasoning very quickly. Sasuke's eyes watched Rock Lee closely. _If he's doing what I think he is, then he's the real story here…_

_Show me, Lee…_Sasuke refused to blink as his Sharingan activated. _Show me your true strength.

* * *

_

Lee was in a bit of a panic…this was too close for comfort. Hinata's "gentle fist" was rapidly closing the distance between them Running on pure reaction, he bent his knees and turned with the attack…instead of hitting him, her palm glided past his head. As he rotated his body, he grabbed her by the shoulder and threw her forward further behind him than she probably planned. Hinata got her footing in midair, however, and quickly turned to face him. As soon as her feet hit the ground, Hinata closed the short distance between them Lee was forced to remain on the defensive, and he evaded her onslaught as best he could..

Frontal strike. Quick sidestep.

Three quick swipes to the head. A bit of quick evasion.

A knee? Lee blocked it, bringing his hands down to hold it in place.

Thrusts at his chest while he held the knee. He just barely dive and rolled to the side.

Lee spun, ducked, and leaped his way away from Hinata's attacks, watching carefully for an opening. Unfortunately, he was too preoccupied with defense to really notice the few openings Hinata gave. Hinata caught on to this, and fevered her attack stretch with feints and fake attacks. Lee had to respect them, however, for a wrong move could lead to an early end to this match, or worse.

Hinata felt the adrenaline surge as she attacked, and began to realize that Lee was being quite cautious in fighting her. The confidence she'd seen earlier on his face was replaced with sheer effort, much like her own. Sweat began to fly as both fighters got into it…

Lee was beginning to get comfortable with evading her attacks. Even if they were ranged and powerful, they were still too slow to hit him when he was watching for them…Lee's dance of evasion became more fluid as he planned his point of counterattack…

* * *

Meanwhile, another set of Byakugan watched the battle from a distance. _So this is Hinata's level. _A small scoff of frustration escaped the lips of Neji. _Why did the fates frown on me…I should be the one to beat her. _This fight was pointless, he decided. Deactivating his Byakugan, his eyes drifted to the others in the room, who were all insisting on locking their eyes with the combatants. _Dosu Kinuta, Akimichi Chouji…Sabaku no Gaara. _

One of them was Neji's battle for this round, he knew. _If I had to choose someone to fight…_Neji bit his lip to avoid frowning harshly. _I would have preferred to take Hinata down…_

"Whoa…fast…"

"Did you see that, Kakashi?"

"Is she…"

"No…not quite."

The conversation barely registered in Neji's mind until he turned his head to see what was happening now…

* * *

Rock Lee's eyes were wide, and the panic on his face was clearly legitimate. _This girl…_

Just as he'd thought he'd figured her out, she changed entirely. Lee, who to this point had just been dodging haymakers until he trusted he'd learned Hinata's style well enough to counter it, had finally decided to make his move. As she struck at him, he spun to the side and prepared to roundhouse kick her…

When he'd gotten the kick halfway around, she'd ducked beneath it, and unleashed a flurry of two fingered jabs…

_Neji's style, _Lee thought. _What the heck?_

Suddenly, he was on the defensive in fifth gear…rapid jabs at his chest and head had his adrenaline running crazy as he dodged like a madman…

* * *

_A year ago…_

_Hyuuga Neji leaped into the air and landed in front of a young Rock Lee. Lee just barely dodged his first two jabs, but Neji wouldn't let up his advantage that easily. With great ease, Neji switched from chest swipes to face thrusts, then used his Jyuuken to strike at a couple of key points on the boy's chest. Pain filled his chest, and he bit his lip and kept evading. It was only a matter of time now…Neji kept striking, smacking Lee on the face, jabbing his chest again…using Jyuuken on his abs to sap his strength…this was just too easyfor him…_

_Five seconds later, Lee was airborne, and the insults began._

* * *

Rock Lee remembered that occasion well, but it wasn't a pleasant memory. Now, he was reliving it as his worst nightmare. Hyuuga Hinata was switching styles rapidly…forcing Lee to dodge quick jabs, then suddenly throwing one of her haymaker palm attacks directly for a critical point. Lee's dodges were getting too slow for comfort… 

Hyuuga Neji watched Hinata strike at Rock Lee and saw a bit of himself. Her steps were off-balance, and she was having trouble switching smoothly from quick strikes to power strikes…she obviously wasn't on his level, but she was more than enough to give Lee a run for his money. There was one thing that bothered Neji, however…but there was only one way to check it out…

"**Byakugan!"

* * *

**

No one here had given her a chance, Hinata knew.

"Ha!" A sharp thrust to the boy's chest, barely dodged. She heard his breath catch as her chakra entred his system anyway.

She hadn't even given herself a chance…she had absolutely known this boy with the bowl cut was going to beat her to a pulp.

"Heya! Hayt!" Two strikes toward his head, both avoided well.

She'd come this close to quitting before even seeing what he could do…

"Sa!" Quick two-fingered jabs to his body…which he dodged, but not well. Hinata could hear his breathing as clearly as her own now…

He wasn't the easiest match she could have had, but there was no more room for doubting. _I've got him on the run, _Hinata declared. _I…I can win this!_

Lee felt his legs get tired, and grimaced. He had to get her off now! But there wasn't enough time…

_Here! _Hinata yelled and jabbed two fingers directly into Rock Lee's chest, and his eyes went wide.

Four more quick jabs followed, and Lee felt his body tense under her prodding touch. _Hey…wait a minute…_where was the pain?

"YAAAAAAAAAA!" Hinata's open palm glowed blue from the huge amount of chakra she radiated as she thrust the strongest hooking palm of her life at Rock Lee's face…the palm caught him square on the cheek and knocked him off his feet.

"Whoa!"

"Holy—"

"No!"

"Yeah!"

"Unbelievable…"

The outcry from the group was loud and surprised, but Naruto's whistle was the most obnoxious of the sounds heard from the balcony. Gai grabbed onto the railing and watched carefully. _Darn…that could be it…_

Rock Lee definitely felt the pain this time…his head throbbed, and he felt himself nearly black out. _Not now, _Lee willed. He had been sent airborne straight backwards, and he needed to get his bearings fast…he had one last chance to save his ship. Leaning back and raising his hands above his head, he spring boarded off of the floor and into the air. Before he could figure out his positioning in the room, however, he felt the pain in his mouth again. Blacking out slightly, he barely even felt it when his body collided with the giant fire _in_.

Hinata looked on, watching his movements carefully. He hadn't hit high enough on the monument to hurt himself badly, and he seemed like he was catching his bearings quickly. Lee landed on his feet and dropped to a knee, using his hands to steady him. Hinata remained still, and Lee took the opportunity to leap to the top of the monument.

Rock Lee felt his chest resist his attempts to breathe, and sat on the upturned fingers of the monument. Closing his eyes, he focused on controlling his breathing. Considering their last pass, Rock Lee realized his error and frowned. _This can't go on much longer. I have to end this…next pass or never._

A loud voice cut through Lee's meditation.

"**LEE! Take off the weights!"**

Lee's eyes popped open, and he noticed the thumbs-up from Gai. "What?"

Hinata looked up to the yelling man. _What did he just say?_

Lee saluted his sensei. "But, sir, I thought I was only to take these off when it was necessary to protect many important people!"

Gai looked down at Hyuuga Hinata, then over to Lee. He pointed down to the arena floor. "That ninja down there has shown you the full depth of her training…she has shown you the power of youth and exuberance!"

"Sir!"

Gai smiled. "Honor her effort by showing your spirit to her!"

Lee smiled, and then cried out in joy. "HAI, GAI-SENSEI!"

Hinata raised an eyebrow as Lee bent down and removed something from within his pants legs. _Are those…weights?_

Recognition crossed her face, then panic. _He was that fast with weights on?_

Lee raised his arms to shoulder level, one weight in either hand, and let them unravel. Each was labeled with a different letter. G. U. T. S.

Hinata's eyes were wide. She could tell the weights were heavy just by the way they'd unraveled.

Lee shut his eyes in anticipation, but a twinge of regret crossed his face. "I haven't taken these weights off in a year…but you, Hyuuga Hinata, have done what no one else has. I can't win this with them on…you've proven to be a worthy opponent full of heart."

Hinata remained silent, and Lee continued on.

"Hyuuga Hinata…you shall experience what I had hoped to save for your cousin. You shall see my speed."

* * *

Temari and Kankuro smirked. This kid thought weights would make a difference? A little extra leg speed wasn't going to change the fact that he was being completely outclassed... 

Meanwhile, Uzumaki Naruto remained silent, his mouth wide open. This was too incredible for words...Hinata was dominating! His fingers began to shake in excitement...and he felt the urge to cheer and be loud return...

* * *

The Hyuuga girl's veins tensed as she watched the look on Lee's face. As much as she wanted to believe in herself, there was no bluffing on his face…he was legitimately excited, and quite energetic again. It was hard to believe he was the same person she'd been fighting a moment earlier. Taking a deep breath, she knew then what she had to do. "No, Lee-kun…this was enough for me." 

"Eh?" Rock Lee's round eyes expressed confusion, and an outcry could be heard from the balcony...Hinata ignored it.

The girl's veins suddenly relaxed and receded, and her eyes went back to their former lavender hue. "Despite the damage you've taken, I've barely held my own until now…I won't be able to keep up anymore." Getting that last strike to his head in had cost her one of her best advantages; he knew the full depth of her style now, and would be less afraid to counterattack. _And those weights..._no. She stood no chance here.

Lee stared at her, and confusion slowly changed into concern. "But…what of the things you needed to prove?" If she truly meant to quit, he would have his moment…but what of hers? "And what of the people you wish to prove them to?"

Hinata bowed her head slightly and felt the blush cross her cheeks. Her shy self came back, and she quickly found herself fiddling with her fingers again. "I have done what I could…that is all anyone can ask of themselves." Hinata smiled up to Lee. "Whether or not I have proven anything isn't an important detail. It's the heart behind it that matters…"

Despite saying that, Hinata still cared. But those weights convinced her that anything more would be pointless. _I won't be able to set up an attack, and he'll be able to get behind me repetitively._ Hinata couldn't help but think of Naruto. _Did I prove anything to you today, Naruto-kun? _"A part of me does not want to quit..." Her eyes looked up to Lee's, and the competitive fire inher eyeswas as clear as Lee's. "It wishes to face you to the end...to see if there is a chance...and to defend my way of the ninja..."

Lee brought his arms back down to his sides and considered her words. He could only imagine what he'd be like in her situation. As she talked about her split thoughts, he realized he'd never back down if there was still a chance. The things he had to prove could very well require his all. "If you wish to battle," Lee interrupted, "then why do you back down?"

"Because you have won, Lee. I've given everything I have to give...to go any further would be to risk my life on proving something."

Lee looked back to her. Perhaps they weren't as similar as he had thought before. "You and I do not fight for the same things, then. Some things are worth proving, even if you die for them."

Hinata's lips turned into a frown for a moment as she considered it. Was proving her skill worth dying for? Was earningNaruto's respect worth it? But then her content smile returned. "No. What good is proving such a thing if you don't live to benefit from it? I...I won't fight for such an empty victory, Lee..." Either she would earn it the right way, or she would never earn it...that was her decision.

Lee paused and looked at the girl. Defeat was before her, but it didn't show on her face at all. She humbly accepted her failure, and Lee realized something. While Hinata might not beat him in an all-out match, she certainly had learned more in her life than he. Her words suggested she spoke from experience, and Lee wouldn't take them lightly.

This girl had earned his respect.

Lee tossed her the thumbs-up (as well as he could while holding those weights). "Well said, Hinata-san!" It crossed his mind that maybe...just maybe...she was right. If it was to defend his country, Lee would do anything. But, until just now, Lee would have gone just as far to prove his way of the ninja was valid. He would have proved that he could be an excellent ninja by dying for that cause. Now, he wasn't so sure such a sacrifice would be worth it. "I will write that down….and meditate upon it. Thank you." Lee bowed in reverence to Hinata.

Hinata bowed in return before walkingover to Genma and whispering into his ear. For some reason, she wastoo embarrassed to alert everyone herself. Genma coughed a few times, and then raised his voice. "Hyuuga Hinata has forfeited the match. The winner by default is Rock Lee."


	3. The Aftermath of Hurricane Hinata

Rock Lee's return to the balcony was a silent one. Leaping over the railing, he landed softly next to his teacher, Gai. Gai turned and smiled, then patted the boy lightly on the shoulder.

Lee looked over to Neji, who had returned to his spot on the wall. He almost looked like he was sleeping, but he cocked one eye open and probed Lee's eyes. Lee caught the message clearly. _Did you know?_

"I wish I had your eyes, Neji…then I could have won without taking off the weights." Counterattacking was a dangerous business when you didn't have the eyes to follow the opponent well. But the true key to the match had been a trick Hinata had pulled that never would have worked on Neji.

Neji looked at Lee with slight disappointment. "Baka. You should have known something was wrong when she started jabbing all of a sudden."

Lee looked incredulously at Neji. _Did I not just win? Why is he picking me apart? _"And how was I to know the difference? Should I have _let_ her hit me?"

Neji considered it and shut his eyes again. "You're right. It's pointless at your level."

Lee balled his fist in anger…

* * *

**What If: The Lavender Lotus** **Brawl  
Part 3: The Aftermath of Hurricane Hinata  
by Yondaime-dono

* * *

Hyuuga Hinata was emotionless. **

That wasn't true, she decided. So many different ones were floating around in her mind that she couldn't choose just one.

She was happy because she'd fought with every ounce of ability she had.

She was sad because even that hadn't been enough.

She was frustrated, because she realized there was a moment there where she could have knocked him out if she just pressed her advantage just a bit further…

And yet, she was proud…because it was a cleverly-calculated gamble that had gotten her to that point.

Looking back over the fight, she realized that was what had gotten her that far. Lee had been content to dodge her attacks all day, until he reached a point of confidence. His reflexes were great, but his eyes often didn't see her attacks until it was almost too late. For that reason, he didn't trust his eyes, and was attempting to build confidence in his instincts about what she would do for her next attack.

She had simply pressed on, hoping to stop him from putting her on the defensive, and praying that his stamina wouldn't last. Considering the power she put into every thrust, that wasn't a good gamble.

When she finally started to get tired, she had felt the opening sooner than he had seen it. She saw his legs turn as he prepared to counter, and she made effort to duck beneath his roundhouse kick.

Now, however, she was the one off balance, and he would more than likely keep kicking until her footing failed. She had to do something to get the offensive back. As he landed his kicking leg on the ground and prepared to snap the other leg up and beneath her defenses, Hinata struck. It had been a hasty attack, made in desperation…two fingers flying through the air as fast as she could make them, straight past his right eye. When she struck again with her right hand, aiming for his left eye, he dodged and stumbled back.

The panic in his eyes then was clear for the world to see, and she continued jabbing. Lee was making every effort to dodge every one of her attacks, jab or not, and that made it clear that he did not have the eyes for this battle. Hinata realized the repercussions quickly; this boy couldn't see the chakra coming from her fingers…nor could he notice its absence. Her jabs, pure Gouken finger taps, where just as formidable to his eye as the Jyuuken palm thrusts she'd thrown the entire rest of the match.

She quickly learned to incorporate them into her style, feinting and jabbing to keep him off balance, and going for the gold with her Jyuuken thrusts. The jig would be up once she hit him with a jab, so she made certain not to until she had a golden opportunity to floor him.

It had worked out well, she concluded, but if she'd only gone after his airborne body to finish him off, the end might have worked out differently. But how angry could she honestly get about a victory she almost stole…especially considering she'd almost given it up by default?

Happiness won her over in the end. She had just fought on a stage of her peers, and even though she hadn't won, she had certainly shown her ability. She couldn't ask for anything more.

* * *

The one thing she could (and would) have hoped for was given to her freely. Hyuuga Hinata climbed the stairs back to the balcony and froze. At the top of the stairs, a blond-haired boy wearing an orange jacket sat, dangling his legs over the balcony railing, and turning to face her with a smile. "Aa—there she is, little miss whoopass!" 

Hinata blushed, and climbed to the top. She stood there, her back to the stairs, as they continued to talk.

"Do you plan to become Hokage, Hinata?"

Her eyes went wide. To hear that question from Naruto…what did it mean? She spoke as honestly as she could, hoping truth would serve her well. "No, Naruto-kun…I have no desire to become Hokage."

Naruto looked her in the eyes and flashed a big goofy smile. "Good! I'd hate to have to fight you for it Hinata…you were like a tiger down there!"

Hinata focused her eyes on her hands and pressed her index fingers together. She might have been a tiger _down there_…but up here was a different story.

Aburame Shino stood a bit away from Naruto and glanced at his shy partner. He wanted to congratulate her, but he knew better. This was her shining moment, and he wasn't going to shorten it. _Enjoy it, _Shino told her in his mind, knowing what would happen soon. _Enjoy it while you can._

* * *

Mixed opinions dominated the majority of the rest of the room. Why had that fight ended? Had Hinata's spurt of excellence come to an end simply because she'd gotten tired? Did she turn chicken? Or did Lee tell her something that the rest of folks simply missed? 

"Why wouldn't she at least take the chance? She fought that long and hard just to give up?" Yamanaka Ino mused aloud, entirely confused by how abruptly the battle had ended, just when it looked like it was going to get interesting.

Haruno Sakura sighed. Even though Hinata lost, she'd had the best showing of any woman in the room…and considering nearly every other kunoichi had faced another kunoichi, that said a lot. That just made her quitting make even less sense. "Maybe her confidence just left her…" It was _that _Hinata, after all…maybe she had glanced up to the stands at the wrong time.

Ino laughed. "You mean you think she lost her nerve?" She paused, and then continued, "Although…it _is_ Hinata…"

"**Now wait just a minute!"**

Both girls turned at the sound of this new and manly voice entering their conversation. Rock Lee stood a couple of feet away, and his eyes witnessed to his anger.

"Hinata-san fought honorably and gave her all on the battlefield! I will not stand and listen to you insult her…no matter what her reasons were." Lee's eyes burned, and he glared at both of them. Sakura didn't dare look him back in the eyes, but Ino stared at him.

"I'm not insulting her…at least I'm not trying to. It's just that Hinata…well…she has a history of being shy and passive…"

Lee's eyes shifted to Sakura's for a moment. She turned and faced him with a gasp, looking panicked like a deer in headlights…and Lee tore his eyes away. "She wasn't like that down there…"

Lee balled a fist and pumped it into the air, voicing his opinion for all to hear. "**Know this! Today, Hyuuga Hinata has changed!"**

Across the room, Uzumaki Naruto's fist pumped into the air. **"THREE CHEERS FOR HINATA!"**

Yuuhi Kurenai caught on quickly. "HIP HIP!"

Everyone else was caught so off-guard that only she, Gai, Kakashi, and Naruto yelled. "HOORAY!"

Rock Lee jumped in next. "HIP HIP!"

"HOORAY!"

Shino came in next. "Hip hip!"

No one heard him.

Naruto yelled as loud as he could, filling the silent gap. **_"HIP HIP!"_**

"**HOORAY!" **Nearly every Leaf ninja left in the room had yelled at that point, including Hinata herself. Neji and Sasuke leaned against the wall, arms folded and eyes closed, simply riding out the emotional wave that brought on this cheer…

…and Sand and Sound alike remained silent and awkward. It suddenly became clear to them just how outnumbered they'd become. Baki, caretaker of the Kazekage's family and Jounin of the Sand, frowned. The Leaf genin hadn't looked too impressive to this point…but something seemed to change now. The energy in the room had shifted…no Leaf ninja was nervous anymore. Instead…

Baki glanced to his left and saw Gaara's hands trembling. But…was that nerves, or something else? Either way, it didn't bode well.

Plans would have to be discussed soon. Carefully…

Uzumaki Naruto was oblivious to all of that, however. He was too busy celebrating. Naruto looked over to his friend and smiled. "You have changed, Hinata...for the better."

Hinata looked into his eyes. They shimmered with respect and awe, and his words rang in her ears. Her eyes locked with his, and she felt herself begin to drown in blue. "Th--Thank you, Naruto-kun."

They stayed silent for a moment, just smiling at one another, and then…

Hinata checked out for the night. As her eyes rolled back, she fell backwards…down the stairs…

…and into the waiting arms of Kurenai-sensei. Naruto's eyes searched hers, looking in confusion at her. It was almost as if she'd known the girl was going to faint…she was there before he'd even realized what had happened! Naruto found his voice again. "Did...did Fuzzy-eyebrows hurt her badly?"

Kurenai shook her head and fought back a chuckle. The protectiveness in Naruto's voice was just too cute, considering the nature of the situation. "Too much attention for one day," Kurenai declared. "She'll be fine in a few minutes."

Hyuuga Hinata had indeed changed. But some things were destined to stay the same.

**END

* * *

Okay...now you can read and review!**


End file.
